An inquiry has been ordered into the violence in Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the vice-chancellor and Uttar Pradesh government confirmed on Tuesday.

Several students, including women and two journalists, were injured in a lathi-charge by police inside the university during a protest following a student's complaint that she was 'eve teased'.

While BHU V-C Girish Chandra Tripathi said he had ordered an inquiry headed by a retired high court judge, state government spokesperson and minister Srikant Sharma maintained it was a magisterial probe.

BHU students protest the police lathi-charge by shaving their heads

It was not clear whether there was one inquiry or two. 'I have ordered an inquiry into the incident. Retired Allahabad HC judge BS Dixit will head the panel,' Tripathi told PTI in the national Capital.

However, Sharma said, 'The BHU authorities have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incidents.'

Earlier, speaking to the media after a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow, he had said a judicial inquiry had been ordered.

BHU Vice Chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi talks to the media

Sharma clarified later, 'By mistake, I had said earlier that it will be a judicial inquiry. It is in fact a magisterial inquiry'.

He also said the government had on its part ordered a separate probe by the Varanasi commissioner and ADG police.

Tripathi, who was in New Delhi on Tuesday for the varsity's executive council meeting, said the violence was fanned by rumour mongering and outsiders.

He claimed the council's meeting was scheduled a long time ago and the violence did not figure on its agenda.

VC Tripathi brushed aside allegations of gender bias in the central university

Tripathi also brushed aside allegations of gender bias in the central university, suggesting the perception may have to do with the fact that authorities were more concerned about the security of women than men.

Tripathi said he had been keeping Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar updated on the issue from the very beginning.

'We have the footage in which outsiders can be clearly seen at the protest. Rumour mongering escalated the protests.

'Rumours were spread that girls have been asked to vacate the hostels and those who were not involved in the protests also joined it,' he said.

The student's anger has been blamed on 'rumour mongering'

The trigger was a woman student of the Arts faculty alleging harassment by three men on a motorcycle inside the campus while she was returning to her hostel.

The violence erupted after some students, protesting against the incident on Thursday, wanted to meet the V-C at his residence.

As opposition parties targeted the BJP over the police action on the campus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on Monday spoke to Adityanath and asked him to address the issue at the earliest.